David A. SelaPrincipal Investigator Appointments and affiliations at University of MassachusettsAssistant Professor, Dept. of Food ScienceAdjunct Professor, Dept. of MicrobiologyAdjunct Professor, Dept. of Microbiology and Physiological Systems (UMass Medical School)Organismic and Evolutionary BiologyMolecular and Cellular Biology

Education and previous appointmentsPostdoctoral Researcher, Foods for Health Institute, University of California, DavisPostdoctoral Fellow, Dept. of Microbiology & Immunology, Stanford University Ph.D. Microbiology, University of California, Davis M.S. Food Science (Microbiology), University of California, Davis B.S. Biology (Molecular & Cellular), State University of New York, New PaltzDavid's BioDavid Sela is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Food Science. Moreover he holds an adjunct appointment in the Dept. of Microbiology and Dept. of Microbiology and Physiological Systems at the UMass Medical School. Dr. Sela’s research is focused on the mechanisms by which breast milk molecules direct the population structure, and often function, of microbiota that colonize the infant gastrointestinal tract. Dr. Sela joined UMass Amherst after conducting postdoctoral research with David Mills in the Foods for Health Institute at University of California, Davis and David Relman at Stanford University School of Medicine.

STAFF

Cynthia (Cindy) KaneLab Manager

Asha RaniSenior Research Fellow

Research Assistant Professor, Dept. of Medicine, University of Illinois, ChicagoPostdoctoral Research Associate, University of Illinois, ChicagoPostdoctoral Research Associate, Division of Biological Sciences, University of MontanaPostdoctoral Research Associate, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Delhi, India​Ph.D. Biomedical Sciences, Institute for Genomics and Integrative Biology, University of DelhiM.S. Biomedical Sciences, Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi B.S. Life Sciences, Maharshi Dayanand University

Asha is a Senior Research Fellow in the Sela Lab. She earned her PhD in Biomedical Sciences, from Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research and the Institute for Genomics and Integrative Biology, University of Delhi. Her research interests include role of microbiome in health and disease as a therapeutic intervention for promoting healthcare through translational research. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, spending time outdoors, cooking and catching up with friends.

GRADUATE STUDENTS

Ezgi Özcan joins the Sela Lab as a Ph.D. student. She has previously earned a B.S. in Food Engineering as well as a M.S. in Biotechnology. Her research interest is focused on understanding the interactions of bioactive dietary components with one’s gut microbiota. This includes subpopulations such as lactic acid bacteria, in addition to investigating community-level relationships using in vitro models. When not in the lab, Ezgi enjoys stage and other performing arts. In her free time, she likes to go to concerts, dance performances and watching films, especially musicals.

Xiaomeng You joins the Sela Lab as a Ph.D. student. Previously, she earned a M.S. in nutritional biochemistry at UNC Chapel Hill. She is interested in promoting human health through healthier food development and dietary strategy. Particularly, her research is focused on food nutrients and other bioactive components that promote the growth of beneficial microorganisms to establish a protective microbiome. In her free time, she likes hiking, traveling, cooking and watching movies.

Korin is a Ph.D. student in the Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) program at UMass Amherst. She graduated from the University of Scranton in Scranton, PA cum laude with a B.S. in Biology. Her research interests include how changes in nutrient intake affect the health and diversity of the gut microbiome. In her free time, she enjoys shopping, listening to EDM and hip-hop, and watching educational television with her cat.

Yang Lyu joined the Sela Lab as a Ph.D. student. She earned her M.S. degree from College of Food Science at China Agricultural University. Her research interests include beneficial functions of probiotics, especially bifidobacteria and how diet modulates gut microbiota. In her free time, she enjoys reading, appreciating arts, traveling, and taking photos of cats.

Liv DedonPh.D. StudentM.S. Materials Science and Engineering, U of I at Urbana-ChampaignB.A. Physics and Chemistry, Oberlin College

Liv Dedon joins the Sela Lab as a Ph.D. student. Previously, she earned a M.S. in materials science and engineering at University of Illinois at Ubana-Champaign. Her research interests include the role of metabolic processes in directing and maintaining the microbiome. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, riding horses, and taking photos of her cats and carnivorous plants.​

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Mollie is a Junior at UMass pursuing a degree in Biology with a minor in Psychology. Her future careergoals are in the field of medicine, and she is particularly interested in how diet and microbiomes presentin the stomach contribute to overall health. Outside of the scientific field, she enjoys spending timeoutdoors, making jewelry and traveling.

Veronica is pursuing a degree in Nutrition and completion of the Spanish and Health Certificate in hopes of working within the medical field in the future. She is interested in how the human microbiome can be impacted by an individual’s diet, and how this link plays a role in medicine. She can also be found tutoring at the Learning Resource Center on campus and in her free time, enjoys painting, spending time with friends, and spinning. ​

Arianna ComendulCommonwealth Honors CollegeBiochemistry & Molecular Biology​Class of 2019​Arianna is a biochemistry and molecular biology major pursuing multidisciplinary honors on the pre-med track. Alongside working toward a career in orthopedics, she hopes to advance the frontline of preventative medicine through nutrigenomics and is interested in the contribution of the microbiome in this field of research. Professional interests also include global public health. She is also a goalkeeper for the UMass Women’s Varsity Soccer Team.

Julia is a Sophomore at Smith College pursuing a degree in Neuroscience with a minor in Chemistry. She is interested in the link between stress, diet, and the gut microbiome, as well as infant nutrition. She hopes to one day use her knowledge of nutrition and child development to work as a pediatrician. In her free time she enjoys practicing yoga, running, and cooking with friends.

Michelle is a senior Food Science major with a minor in Microbiology at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She is interested in fermented foods and how those foods interact with the human microbiome. Outside of academic studies Michelle enjoys skiing, skating with friends, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.